Valve connector device



di. 4, i949, L, 5 'WRLLHAMS 2,483,999

VALVE CONNECTOR DEVCE Filed July 25, 41946 unna' IMM Eig Zw I "IN1/mms. Lawrence #M7/farms` l BY l ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 4, 1949 zfisaosm I' VALVE CONNECTOR DEVICEl Lawrence S. Williams, Toledo, 0hio, assigner to Toledo Scale Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 23, 1946, Serial No. 685,596

This invention relates to apparatus for transmitting hydraulic pressure from a source of pressure to a pressure receiver and more particularly'to a connector that may be separated from the pressure receiver without releasing the pressure or fluid from the pressure transmitter,

Hydraulic pressure may be used to transmit force from one location to another as, for example, from a hydraulic capsule serving as a support for la weighing scale load receiver to a pressure receiver that acts against a load counterbalancing and indicating mechanism. When a hydraulic force transmitting system is used in a weighing scale it is necessary that the system be completely lled and free from air. With ordinary connecting devices it is practically impossible to replace a pressure receiver and secure correct operation unless the entire system is evacuated and refilled with fluid after the replacement pressure receiver has been connected. This refilling is necessary because the sys-k tem must be' maintained under a small initial pressure and this pressure and some of the uid is lost as soon as a connection is opened.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a connector that includes a valve to retain the pressure and fluid in the hydraulic capsule and connecting line when the pressure receiver is disconnected.

'Another object of the invention is to provide a valved connector designed so that the valve 6 claims. (c1. 284-17) must be closed before the connector may be disassembled from the pressure receiver.

A still further object is to provide a connector for the pressure receiver end of a connecting tube of a hydraulic pressure transmitting sys-v tem which connector includes a valve member, one side of which is substantially flush with an exterior surface of the connector.

A still further object is to provide a connector that includes a valve that is resiliently urged toward its closed position and whose operating mechanism is arranged to prevent disassembly of the connector from a pressure receiver unless the valve is closed.

These and other objects and advantages are apparent from the following description' in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure I is a vertical section of a hydraulic pressure receiver and the improved connector.

Figure II is a plan view of the connector 1nstalled on the pressure receiver.

Figure III is an elevation of the upper end of the pressure receiver. showing the connectorvin-A stalled yin its'operative position. Y

VFigurefIV is an enlarged vertical section of the valve connector.

Figure V is a' plan view of the connector body.

V,These Speciiic iigures and the accompanyingv description are intended merely to illustratev the invention but not to impose limitations on the claims.

The invention consists of a connector bodylthat is' secured to the end :of a tube and thatis clamped over on opening in a pressure receiving chamber with a hole in the connector body in registry with the opening, the connector being provided with a valve that closes the hole and.

an operator for the valve which operator must be removed and the valve closed before theconnector can be disassembled from the pressure receiver. Because the valve member of the ccnnector lh'iustbe closed before the connector may be disassembled, and because Whenthe valve is closed its exterior surface'is substantially flush with o r'protrudes from the exterior surface of the connector body, the connector may be removed andreinstalled on a pressure receiver without releasing any liquid from the pressure transmitting system or entrapping any air in the system.

In `the example illustrated in the drawings al valve connector b odi7 l secured to the end of a tube 2 whose otherend is connected to a, hydraulic pressure transmitter is clamped beneath abridge 3 of a pressure receiver housing 4. Hy-r draulic' pressure that is transmitted through the' tube 2 is transmitted through the connector l and through a hole 5 leading into the interior of a cup-shaped recess of the pressure receiver 4. The hydraulic pressure acts against a cap 6 secured to one end of a corrugated bellows 1 whose other end is sealed to an annular mem-4 tion of the housing t prevents leakage of fluid along the threads of the annular member 8.

The connector body l (Figure IV) consists o f a generally rectangular metallic block having Cil The connector body I is provided on itsfside op-vposite the valve disk I?, with a cover I9 secured in place by four cap screws Zythe cove'r-being:l drilled at its center to allowthe-threaded-'stem I8 to protrude therethrough. 1n order to prevent leakage of hydraulic fluid-from the `cham-A ber I4 along the threaded stem I8, a bellows 2I has one end sealed to the valve disk I1'` and its other end sealed to a rectangular washer 22 that f isl'interposed between the valve connector body I and its cover I9. The fluid containing portion olthe-connector body` is the space within` the chamber I4 and outside of they bellows 2I`. A washer -23oi'stiff gasket material is clampedbetween the surface of the valve disk Hand the end ofl the-'bellows 2Ibya pair of nuts 24 threaded on the stem- I8 to preventleakage of fluid from the fluid chamber into the interior of the bellows;4 When vthe valve is closed the gasket washer 23 is pressed firmly against the valve seat I6 to prevent-any leakage of iiuid out of the connector body.` The other end of the fluid chamber is sealed by a ring gasket 25 positioned beneath thefrectangular washer -22 that is compressed into a groove 25 cut in the juxtaposed surfacev of the connector body I when the cap screws ZIT-holding'the cover I9 are tightened.

A coil spring 21 surrounding-the'threaded valve' stemY I 8 is seated in a counterbore 28 in the coverv I9 and presses against the nuts 24' tol urge-the valve disk I1'into its closed position. The extent to` which the valve may be openedV by drawingv the valve'stem4 I8 through thecover" I9is limited bya spacing, collar 29 mounted on thevalve stem I8within the coilspring 21.

The surface of the connectorbody I adjacent the valve disk `I1 is rmachined to leave a .cylindrical piloting surface 30V4 that ts within a counterbore 3i surrounding the` opening Eilead#` ing into the pressure receiver 4j The cover I9! is.also machined to leave a cylindrical piloting, portion 52. that is concentric .with thethreaded; valve stem I8 and the piloting surface 3l). Thelv connector body i is attached to the pressure re-` ceiverk by screwing an externally threaded sleeve 334 through a threaded hole-34 in the-'bridge 3 against'the cover I 9 so as to drive the piloting surface Sii-tightly againstl a gasket 35'in the.- counterbore 3 I. Theinner diameterof thesleeve' S-Iisy aclose t over'the cylindrical pilotingsurrf face 32.0the cover ISl'sothatn theconnectorbody,- is-accurately guided. as it isclampedfintoplace:

A.valve operator 3I5Y in the. form of an. axially drilled and tapped stem 31 attached to va skirted'disk handle 38 may be inserted into vthe=s1eeve 335and .screwed onto the end of the `valve stem I 8." until it lifts the valve stem against the reA siliency of the spring 21 to open thevalve;V The` skirt of the handlev 31V covers'the end of the threaded sleeve 33', which 'end is hexagonal to--per mit the use of a wrench in tightening the sleeve; sof-that the connector cannot be loosened or removeduntil the valve operator 3I5is4 removed.`

The removal of the valve operator 36 allows the spring 21 to close the valve so that the connector is ready for removal.

When the connector body I is to be attached to the pressure receiver housing 4 the receiver housing is placed in an upright position with the bridge 3 uppermost and the fluid containing portion .of t ther-receiver is filled until the.v liquid level isiiush withv the top of the'opening 5 including the counterbore 3|. The pressure transmitter and connecting line having been previously evacuated andflled with iiuid, the. connector is then clamped inV place with the piloting surface 3l! and thevalve--disk-I ldisplacing some of the fluid from 'thecounterboreeL' Because the valve disk I1, whenclosed, vis substantially flush with or protrudes-fthrouglr'the surrounding portion of the connector body I, there is no upwardly directed recessor lcavity in which air may be entrapped. After the connector is securely clamped and the valve `operator is'usedfto open the valvevtheupward movementiofthe valve disk I1 withdraws a slight amount of. fluidfrom the pressure receiver untilthe washer 23r'is lifted from the-valveseatl As soon as the valvefis opened the i'luid'is free to distribute itself to 'equalizeT therl pressure between`- the pressure transmitting system' and the pressure receiver.

The improved connector simplifies theareplacei-Y within the receiver with lthe result that nofiiuidA is lost or displaced `from the receiver whenthe: If the.` pressure receiver.`

connector isremoved. is VAdisconnected while under pressure, a certain amount of fluid will be lost from the receiver by the upward expansion of the. bellows 1. this fluid is not made up by unloading the pres sure receiver and addingv uid to itbefore'zthey connector is replaced, the lost iiuid must be'supii' plied from the pressure transmitter.

The valve connector'also makes itpossible to introduce a small amount of fluid into thef hydraulic pressure transmitting system by unloading the pressure receiver to compress the bellows:

1, filling the chamberfbefore the connectorfis put in place and the subsequently, after openingthe valve, bringing the bellows 'I 'to' its normal condition thereby forcing some of the fluid from the pressure receiverinto the connecting line:

Various. modifications and changes in design of the: improved valve, connectorto adapt yitfor; specific'uses may be-vmade without departing;

from the spirity and scope: of Athe invention.

Having described the invention; 1I claim: 1. -.In.adevice,;of the class described-,;i1r'com bination, a .connector fbody.Y that-may: be attached-r to the `end of a tube, meansf-forsecuring nthe. connector bodyvto afluid., containing `chamber-- witha hole-in the.. bottom .wall of thecormector1` body in registry with an opening in Athe chamber,4

a .solid ,valve rmember mounted. in the connector body that in closed position. substantially, fills. the .holeinthe wallof `the body, and a removable` to the end of a tube;means'forsecuringjthe' con-v nector'body toa' fluid containing chamber with a hole in the Wall of the connector body in registry with an opening in the chamber, a bellows mounted within the connector body, a Valve disk secured to an end of the bellows and positionable in the hole, a resilient member for urging the valve disk into the hole to a position at which the outer surface of the disk is substantially flush With the outer surface of the wall, and a removable valve operator for compressing the resilient member, said operator having a portion that at least partially encloses the securing means to prevent disassembly of the connector body from the chamber while the operator is in place.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a connector body that may be attached t0 a tube, a chamber having an opening in a Wall thereof, a bridge over the opening in the chamber Wall, the bridge serving as a frame to hold the connector body in registry with the opening, a screw threaded through the bridge for clamping the connector body to the chamber wall, a valve in the connector body, and operating means for opening the valve, said operating means also covering the screw to prevent removal thereof while the valve is open.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a connector body attached to a tube,

a hydraulic pressure receiver having an opening for the introduction of hydraulic fluid, means for attaching the connector body to the pressure receiver, the connector body having a portion that enters the mouth of the opening, a valve member in the connector body, the valve member being positionable in the portion of the connector body with its exterior surface substantially ush with the exterior surface of the portion of the connector body and a valve operator having a portion that at least partially encloses the attaching means to prevent removal of the connector body from the pressure receiver when the valve is open.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a connector body that may be attached to the end of a tube, means for securing the connector body to a iluid containing chamber with a hole in the connector body is registry with an opening in the chamber, a valve member mounted in the connector body, and a removable member for opening the valve, said removable member having a portion arranged to prevent access to the securing means, whereby the removable member must be removed before the connector body may be removed from the chamber.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a connector body that may be attached to the end of a tube, means for securing the connector body to a fluid containing chamber with a hole in the connector body in registry with an opening in the chamber, a valve member mounted in the connector body, a removable member for opening the valve, and a handle attached to the removable member, which handle overlies the connector body securing means to require re-- moval of the removable member before access to the securing means may be had.

LAWRENCE S. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES rPATENTS Number Name Date 833,143 Wolf Oct. 9, 1906- 1,266,192 Anthony May 14, 1918 1,593,772 Litster July 27, 1926 1,767,391 Muller June 24, 1930 1,952,110 Baker Mar. 27, 1934 2,038,477 Collins Apr. 21, 1936 2,203,922 Paisley June 11, 1940 2,286,623 Kellaher et al June 16, 1942 2,372,820 Gardes Apr. 3, 1945 2,444,137 Main June 29, 1948 2,444,451 Kelso July 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 752,652 France Sept. 28, 1933 353,195 Italy Oct. 7, 1937 

